Portable face protector for protecting human being from poisonous gas and securing visibility

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a portable face protector for protecting a human being from poisonous gas and securing visibility, which can be used in an emergency such as a fire, etc. The face protector comprises a visibility securing member having a transparent window, for tightly covering a face around eyes of a user; and a cloth member for tightly covering the face around a mouth and a nose of the user so as to filter poisonous gas in an emergency. Therefore, the face protector can be facilely carried and rapidly used in an emergency such as a fire, etc., so as to protect a human lift from the poisonous gas and safely escape from a critical region.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a portable face protector forprotecting a human being from poisonous gas and securing visibility,which can be used in an emergency such as a fire, etc.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a gas mask is to protect a human life from a poisonous gasgenerated when a fire breaks out or a biochemical gas is spread in waror terrorism. The gas mask purifies the poisonous gas so that a humanbeing can breathe.

Recently, due to frequent fires in a department store, a hotel, atheater, a transportation such as a bus, a subway, etc., the gas maskhas attracted a lot of attention. Since a user can quickly wear the gasmask in an emergency such as a fire, etc., the gas mask is tending tohave a simple structure. Thus, the gas mask can be used for only adesired time the user can escape from a critical region.

Meanwhile, since a conventional gas mask is considerably large and heavyand it is thus inconvenient for a general person to carry the gas mask,there is a problem that it is hard to facilely get the gas mask in theemergency. Furthermore, even if it is possible to get the gas mask inthe emergency, there is another problem that it is hard for the generalperson, who is not trained, to rapidly wear the gas mask in theemergency. Therefore, it is urgently required to develop a gas mask thatthe general person can easily use and also facilely carry.

In addition, since the conventional gas mask is sold at a high price, itis too much for the government or a local autonomous entity to place alarge quantity of gas masks in many public areas. Further, it will bealso an economical burden on the general persons to individually buy thegas mask.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable faceprotector for protecting a human being from poisonous gas and securingvisibility, which can be facilely carried and rapidly used in anemergency such as a fire, etc., so as to protect a human lift from thepoisonous gas and safely escape from a critical region, and which can bealso sold at a low price.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purposeof the present invention, a portable face protector comprises avisibility securing member having a transparent window, for tightlycovering a face around eyes of a user; and a cloth member for tightlycovering the face around a mouth and a nose of the user so as to filterpoisonous gas, wherein, in an emergency, the visibility securing memberis air-tightly attached to the face around eyes so as to securevisibility of the user through the transparent window, and the clothmember is hold by a hand of the user so as to tightly cover the facearound the mouth and nose, whereby the user can be protected from thepoisonous gas and can safely escape from a critical region.

Preferably, the visibility securing member has an attaching portion soas to be tightly attached to the face, and the attaching portion of thevisibility securing member has an adhesive surface that is covered witha protecting paper to prevent the adhesive surface from being exposed toan outside.

Preferably, the protecting paper has a separating portion at a sidethereof so as to be facilely separated from the adhesive surface of theattaching portion.

Preferably, the cloth member is formed of antibiotic cotton paper or afabric material.

Preferably, the cloth member is vacuously packed in a state of being wetwith a solution for filtering the poisonous gas.

Preferably, the solution is a saline solution or purified water.

Preferably, the cloth member has an active carbon portion for filter thepoisonous gas.

Preferably, the face protector further comprises a first receivingportion for vacuously packing the visibility securing portion, and asecond receiving portion for vacuously packing the cloth member.

Preferably, the first and second receiving portions are formed of vinylor aluminum foil.

Preferably, the first and second receiving portions are respectivelyformed with a detaching groove at a side thereof so as to rapidly andeasily rip one side of each of the first and second receiving portionsopen and then withdraw the visibility securing member and the clothmember.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above aspects and features of the present invention will be moreapparent by describing certain embodiments of the present invention withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first receiving portion and avisibility securing member of a portable face protector according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A—A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a lower perspective view of the visibility securing member ofthe visibility securing member of the portable face protector accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second receiving portion and a clothmember of the portable face protector according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4A is a schematic view illustrating the combination of first andsecond portions of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line B—B of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a status that a user wears the visibilitysecuring member of the portable face protector according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a status that the user uses the clothmember after wearing the visibility securing member of the portable faceprotector according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 8 to 13 are experimental data showing a performance of the clothmember of the portable face protector according to the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

A portable face protector of the present invention is to protect a humanbeing from poisonous gas and secure visibility, and comprises a firstreceiving portion and a second receiving portion 20, as shown in FIGS. 1to 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first receiving portion 1 receives a visibilitysecuring member 10 therein.

In order to minimize an entire volume of the first receiving portion 1,the visibility securing member 10 is folded a few times and thenreceived in the first receiving portion 1. Therefore, a user canconveniently carry the first receiving portion 1 in a small bag, a handbag and a pocket.

The first receiving portion 1 is formed of vinyl and aluminum foil. Thevisibility securing member 10 can be withdrawn from the first receivingportion 1 after ripping a side of the first receiving portion 1 openusing a detaching groove 30.

The detaching groove 30 is formed at each end of both opposite sides ofthe first receiving portion 1. Therefore, in an emergency, the user caneasily rip one side of the vinyl or aluminum foil of the first receivingportion 1 and then withdraw the visibility securing member 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the visibility securing member 10 comprises apair of transparent windows 11 and an attaching portion 12 formed aroundeach of the transparent windows 11 so as to be attached to a face.

The transparent windows 11 are symmetrically disposed at both sides ofthe visibility securing member 10, and have an elliptical shape.Besides, the transparent windows 11 may have various shapes. Forexample, the transparent window may be formed into a single large windowshape.

Further, the transparent windows 11 are convexed toward each from facethereof so as to form a concaved space therein.

The transparent window 11 may be formed of glass or synthetic resin likeplastic. In case of the plastic, it is preferred that it has a high heatresistance which is higher than a temperature that a general person canendure.

Meanwhile, the shape of the transparent window 11 is not limited to ablock structure as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The transparent window 11 maybe formed to be planed or convexed at only a blade portion of a nose.

Preferably, the attaching portion 12 of the visibility securing member10 is formed of cotton or non-woven fabric, and may be formed of paper,vinyl, plastic, silicon, etc., which can be excellently attached to theface.

One surface of the attaching portion 12 is an adhesive surface 13.

The attaching portion 12 has a size that can cover the cheekbone and theblade portion of the nose from a forehead or glabella of the face.

A protecting paper 14 is covered on the adhesive surface 13 of theattaching portion 12 to prevent the adhesive surface 13 from beingexposed to the outside.

The protecting paper 14 has a separating portion 15 at a side thereof soas to be facilely separated from the adhesive surface 13 of theattaching portion 12.

That is, in the emergency, a user rapidly peels off the protecting paper14 from the attaching portion 12 using the separating portion 15.

The visibility securing member 10 is standardized into a small size, amiddle size and a large size, so that the user can choose a proper sizeof the visibility securing member 10 according to a size of the user'sface.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second receiving portion 20receives a cloth member 22 therein.

In order to minimize an entire volume of the second receiving portion20, the cloth member 22 is folded a few times and then received in thesecond receiving portion 20.

This is for the user to conveniently carry the second receiving portion20 in the small bag, the hand bag and the pocket, like the firstreceiving portion 1.

Preferably, the cloth member 22 is formed of antibiotic cotton paper.Furthermore, the cloth member 22 may be formed of other fabric materialbesides the antibiotic cotton paper.

The second receiving portion 20 is formed of the vinyl or aluminum foil24′. Preferably, the cloth member 22 is vacuously packed in the vinyl orthe aluminum foil 24′ in a state of being wet with a saline solution 23.

The cloth member 22 can be withdrawn from the second receiving portion20 after ripping a side of the second receiving portion 20 open using adetaching groove 30′. The detaching groove 30′ is formed at bothopposite sides of the second receiving portion 20. Therefore, in anemergency such as a fire, etc., the user can easily rip one side of thevinyl or aluminum foil 24′ of the second receiving portion 20 and thenwithdraw the cloth member 22.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cloth member 22 is formed into arectangular cotton handkerchief type, and may be a cotton grove type inwhich the user's fingers can be inserted, or a general mask type. Inaddition, it may be formed into a mouthpiece type in which the clothmember 22 that is wet with the saline solution is put in a plasticcontainer, etc.

The reason why the cloth member 22 is kept in the second receivingportion 20 in the state of being wet with the saline solution 23 is toprevent an inflow of the poisonous gas when the user breathes in theemergency situation and thus to prevent a difficulty in breathing andalso to prevent a deterioration of the cloth member 22 when the clothmember 22 is taken in custody for a long time.

However, the saline solution 23 can be substituted wit purified water orother solution which can effectively prevent the poisonous gas.

In addition, the cloth member 22 may have an active carbon portion (notshown) for filter the poisonous gas.

The cloth member 22 of the second receiving portion 20 is standardizedinto a small size, a middle size and a large size, so that the user canchoose a proper size of the cloth member 22 according to a size of theuser's face, i.e., a size of the user's nose and mouth.

FIGS. 1 to 7 show a status that the face protector of the presentinvention is used.

If the poisonous gas is generated due to a fire, etc., the user rapidlyrips the side of the vinyl or the aluminum foil 24 of the firstreceiving portion 1 open using the detaching groove 30, and thenwithdraws the visibility securing member 10 from the first receivingportion 1.

Then, the user rapidly peels off the protecting paper 14 from theattaching portion 12 using the separating portion 15, and thenair-tightly covers his/her face around eyes with the visibility securingmember 10 using the adhesive surface 13 of the attaching portion 12, asshown in FIG. 6.

Meanwhile, the cloth member 22 can be also withdrawn from the secondreceiving portion 20 after ripping the side of the vinyl or the aluminumfoil 24′ open using the detaching groove 30′.

At this time, if the withdrawn cloth member 22 is the cottonhandkerchief type, as shown in FIG. 7, the user takes hold of the cottonhandkerchief and covers his/her own mouth and nose with the cottonhandkerchief so as to prevent the poisonous gas from being come intohis/her respiratory organ.

Although not shown in drawings, if the withdrawn cloth member 22 is thegeneral mask, the user wears the mask on his/her ears using a string ofthe mask so as to protect the human being from the poisonous gas.

As described above, the face protector of the present invention isformed into a one-time product, so that the user can quickly escape fromthe critical region in a state that the face protector protects theuser's eyes, noise and mouth, etc., from the poisonous gas generated ina fire. Particularly, when the fire breaks out in a subway, akindergarten, a school, a dormitory, a tunnel, etc. the face protectoraccording to the present invention can considerably reduce a loss oflives.

FIGS. 8 to 13 experimental data and graphs showing a performance of thecloth member of the portable face protector according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is a test certificate from the Korea Institute of ConstructionTechnology, and FIG. 9 is a document describing an apparatus and methodfor testing the wet cloth member. The test conditions of the clothmember and the testing apparatus and method are described in FIG. 9.Therefore, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are an experimental data and a graph showing achange-over-time of a concentration of sulfur dioxide passing throughthe wet cloth member in a case that sulfur dioxide having a basicconcentration of 197.2 ppm is passed through the wet cloth member underthe test conditions of FIG. 9.

First, as shown in the data and graph of FIG. 10, the concentration ofsulfur dioxide passing through the cloth member is ‘0’ for 312 seconds.However, after the time of 312 seconds, the concentration of sulfurdioxide is gradually increased.

In FIG. 11, the concentration of sulfur dioxide passing through thecloth member is ‘0’ for 235 seconds. However, after the time of 235seconds, the concentration of sulfur dioxide is gradually increased.

As shown in the experimental result of FIGS. 10 and 11, when the usercovers his/her mouth and nose with the cloth member and escapes from thecritical regions, the user can be protected from the poisonous gas suchas the sulfur dioxide for at least 235˜312 seconds.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are data showing a change-over-time of a concentrationof hydrogen chloride passing through the wet cloth member in a case thathydrogen chloride having a basic concentration of 982 ppm is passedthrough the wet cloth member under the same test conditions as in FIG.9.

As shown in FIG. 12, the concentration of hydrogen chloride passingthrough the cloth member is ‘0’ for 2015 seconds.

Also, in other three test results as shown in FIG. 13, the concentrationof hydrogen chloride passing through the cloth member is ‘0’ for 307seconds in data 11, for 314 seconds in data 12 and for 314 seconds indata 13, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the users can be safely protected from thepoisonous gas such sulfur dioxide or hydrogen chloride while they escapefrom the critical region.

Since the face protector according to the present invention is small andlight, anyone can conveniently carry the face protector in his/herpocket or handbag.

Further, since the face protector according to the present invention islow-priced, a large quantity of the face protectors can be provided at apublic place such as a theater, a school, a subway, etc., at a lowprice. Thus, many human lives can effectively escape from the criticalregion in an emergency.

The foregoing embodiment and advantages are merely exemplary and are notto be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teachingcan be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, thedescription of the embodiments of the present invention is intended tobe illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and manyalternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

1. A portable face protector having multiple portions for coordinateduse carried in a common container, comprising: a first portion includinga visibility securing member having a transparent window portion and anattaching portion formed contiguously around the transparent windowportion such that the attaching portion may tightly cover a face aroundeyes of a user in an airtight manner, the visibility securing memberbeing dry sealed prior to use in a disposable first receiving portion;and a second portion including a cloth member for covering the facearound a mouth and a nose of the user in an airtight manner so as tofilter poisonous gas, the cloth member being wet sealed prior to use inisolation from the visibility securing member in a disposable secondreceiving portion; wherein, in an emergency, the visibility securingmember is air-tightly attached to the face around eyes so as to securevisibility of the user through the transparent window portion, and thecloth member is held by a hand of the user so as to tightly cover theface around the mouth and the nose, whereby the user can be protectedfrom the poisonous gas and can safely escape from a critical region. 2.The protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attaching portion ofthe visibility securing member has an adhesive surface that is coveredwith a protecting paper to prevent the adhesive surface from beingexposed to an outside.
 3. The protector as claimed in claim 2, whereinthe protecting paper has a separating portion at a side thereof so as tobe facilely separated from the adhesive surface of the attachingportion.
 4. The protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clothmember is formed of antibiotic cotton paper.
 5. The protector as claimedin claim 1, wherein the cloth member is formed of a fabric material. 6.The protector as claimed in any one of claims 1, 4 and 5, wherein thecloth member is vacuously packed in a state of being wet with a solutionfor filtering the poisonous gas.
 7. The protector as claimed in any oneof claims 1, 4 and 5, wherein the cloth member has an active carbonportion for filter the poisonous gas.
 8. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the visibility securing member is vacuously packedprior to use in the first receiving portion, and cloth member isvacuously packed prior to use in the second receiving portion.
 9. Theprotector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second receivingportions are formed of vinyl or aluminum foil.
 10. The protector asclaimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second receiving portions arerespectively formed with a detaching groove at a side thereof so as torapidly and easily rip one side of each of the first and secondreceiving portions open and then withdraw the visibility securing memberand the cloth member.
 11. The protector as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe cloth member is vacuously packed in a wet state with a solution forfiltering the poisonous gas; and, wherein the solution is salinesolution or purified water.
 12. The protector as claimed in claim 4,wherein the cloth member is vacuously packed in a wet state with asolution for filtering the poisonous gas; and, wherein the solution issaline solution or purified water.
 13. The protector as claimed in claim5, wherein the cloth member is vacuously packed in a wet state with asolution for filtering the poisonous gas; and, wherein the solution issaline solution or purified water.